Dan Stulbach
Philip Murdoch
Overview
American pastor Renee Murdoch, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, was tragically attacked during a run in September 2012. Hospitalized in a critical condition and with minimal prospects of recovery, she received the full support of her family and her husband Philip, who shared Renee's struggle with the world, hoping to bring together as many people as possible in prayer for her recovery.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Weight of Prayer
I’ve seen this story before. Not the specifics—an American pastor attacked in Rio, a family clinging to faith while the world tilts—but the shape of it. The slow drip of medical updates, the hushed conversations in hospital corridors, the way hope curdles into something heavier when the body refuses to cooperate. Faith in the Impossible knows this terrain well, and for a while, it walks it with a quiet conviction that almost makes you forget you’ve been here before.
Almost.
The film opens with a shot of Renee Murdoch (Vanessa Giácomo) running along Rio’s coastline, her breath steady, her stride sure. It’s a small moment, but it’s the kind of detail that biopics often overlook—the mundane rhythm of a life before it shatters. Then, in a flash, the attack.
The camera doesn’t linger on the violence, but it doesn’t need to. The aftermath is worse: the beeping machines, the sterile light, the way Renee’s husband, Philip (Dan Stulbach), sits in a plastic chair, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turn white. This is the film’s strongest suit—its willingness to sit with discomfort.
There’s no swelling music here, no dramatic zoom on a tear-streaked face. Just the sound of a ventilator and the weight of a question no one dares to ask: What now?
What follows is a familiar dance. Philip, a man of faith, turns to prayer. Their children, especially their teenage daughter Júlia (Júlia Gomes), turn to doubt.
The film frames this as a generational divide—faith versus skepticism—but it’s messier than that. Júlia isn’t just questioning God; she’s questioning her father, whose devotion to Renee’s recovery sometimes feels like a refusal to engage with the reality of their situation. There’s a scene where Philip gathers the family for a group prayer, his voice steady, his eyes closed.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.2/10
"A heartfelt drama with strong performances that struggles to escape familiar emotional beats."
The cast brings sincerity and depth, particularly Dan Stulbach and Vanessa Giácomo, whose performances give weight to the film’s themes of faith and perseverance. The narrative is predictable, though, leaning on well-worn dramatic tropes that dilute its impact. The emotional moments land, but uneven pacing and a lack of surprises leave it short on originality.
What viewers praise
- Powerful lead performances Dan Stulbach and Vanessa Giácomo give deeply moving performances that anchor the film’s emotional core.
- Emotionally resonant themes Its treatment of faith and resilience has moments of genuine inspiration.
- Strong supporting cast Júlia Gomes and Théo Medon stand out, adding depth to the story.
- Authentic portrayal of struggle Its depiction of personal and collective challenges feels raw and relatable.
Common complaints
- Predictable storyline The plot follows familiar dramatic arcs, so it rarely surprises.
- Uneven pacing Some scenes drag while others rush through key emotional moments.
- Underdeveloped side characters The leads shine, but some supporting roles lack depth and feel like missed opportunities.
- Heavy-handed messaging The themes of faith and hope are occasionally delivered with too much earnestness, bordering on preachy.
Recommended for
Fans of inspirational dramas Fans of Dan Stulbach and Vanessa Giácomo Fans of faith-based stories Fans of Brazilian cinema Fans of emotional, character-driven films
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsRenee watched a coma she could not remember
Faith in the Impossible reached number one on Netflix Brazil in late May 2025, days after it landed on the service. The English title translates Fé Para o Impossível. Vanessa Giácomo plays American pastor Renee Murdoch. Dan Stulbach plays her husband, Philip. Ernani Nunes directed. Guilherme Ruiz and Carolina Minardi adapted the couple's book Dê a Volta por Cima. Galeria Distribuidora put the 100-minute Portuguese drama in theaters on 20 February 2025. AdoroCinema said it then knocked Puss in Boots 2, Fear Street: Prom Queen, latestnetflix.com contends, and The Lives of Chico Xavier off the local film chart. Estadão confirmed the same spike.,
The plot is a 2012 crime file, not a parable. On 26 September 2012, Renee was jogging on the Barra da Tijuca waterfront in Rio after leaving her children at school. A man living on the street, Alexandre Luis de Oliveira Francesco, was wrecking a kiosk. She called him out. He beat her with a piece of wood. UOL reported a skull injury at Hospital Miguel Couto, survival odds under 30 percent for the next two weeks, clot surgeries, a transfer to Copa D'Or to replace part of the skull, coma, and speech trouble. Discharge came in November 2012. Philip told UOL they would keep Thanksgiving at home. "I prayed a lot for her to be discharged by today." In 2015, a Rio court sent Francesco to a psychiatric hospital.,
Philip had already turned the hospital into a public prayer chain. YouTube clips and social posts pulled in strangers. Estadão says Renee was 43, spent 29 days in hospital, ten of them in a coma, and faced six surgeries. A piece of skull came out to ease swelling. After she recovered, the couple kept leading Igreja Interdenominacional Luz às Nações, also known as Ilan Church, in Recreio. They have four children, Júlia, Micah, Caroline, and Ethan. The film casts Júlia Gomes, Théo Medon, Bella Alelaf, and Arthur Biancat as the kids. Juliana Alves plays Dr. Vera. TMDB lists gospel singer Eli Soares as a church singer. Nunes had already made the faith drama No Ritmo da Fé.,,
The patient in the seats
Renee told Estadão the real recovery "was a war." "I was willing. I did not do it to show everyone. I wanted to be healed." Watching Giácomo, she said parts of the movie cover hours she never lived. "In part of the events in the film, I was not even conscious. I had already seen many of Philip's videos, but seeing it on the screen was very impactful." That is the odd fame loop. The patient becomes an audience for her own blackout. The official trailer still sells the church-line that for those who believe, nothing is impossible.,
Theaters treated it as a mid-size church title. Portal Exibidor logged 74,730 opening-weekend tickets, just behind Ainda Estou Aqui at 77,000 the same weekend, while Captain America: Brave New World led with 430,140. By June the Galeria release had sold about 268,000 tickets. Wikipedia's roundup of Brazilian notices is mixed. CinePOP liked Giácomo. Vertentes do Cinema called the tone a soap for people who already believe. Then streaming did the work the church circuit could not. A 2012 assault story, shot as Portuguese-language faith drama, outran Hollywood leftovers on a Monday night in May.,
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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